This invention relates to brassieres or similar garments that use an underwire for support and stability. The problem that occurs with brassieres is once the underwire has poked through its fabric casing, the brassiere losses its support and becomes unstable which renders it useless. This problem that occurs with a brassiere's underwire is usually a result of normal wear and tear.
Some manufactures of brassieres have created solutions that should prevent an underwire from poking through its fabric casing, such as: [U.S. Pat. No. 7,189,138]-[U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,316]-[U.S. Pat. No. 7,666,060]. Also, inventors have created repair devices and methods such as: [U.S. Pat. No. 8,778,475]-[GB2458675]-[U.S. Pat. No. 8,968,050]-[U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,316] and [U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,624] but they were difficult to install, required sewing, required reinstallation after washing the brassiere, or altered the outer appearance of the brassiere.
Repairing a brassiere with an underwire that has poked through its fabric casing remains a problem that proved difficult to solve. There continues to be a great need and desire to repair a brassiere with an underwire that has poked through its fabric casing. Although inventions have been created to repair a brassiere with an underwire that has poked through its fabric casing, there has not been an invention that eliminates all the aforementioned issues associated with repairing a brassiere with an underwire that has poked through its fabric casing.
This invention repairs a brassiere with an underwire that has poked through its fabric casing and also eliminates the aforementioned issues associated with repairing an underwire that has poked through its fabric casing. The repair device of this invention accommodates various thicknesses and shapes of underwire tips and cradles a portion of the underwire. This invention also includes a single use installation apparatus that enables and facilitates the installation of the repair device.
The repair device attaches to the tip of an underwire and the underwire is easily inserted inside its fabric casing with the use of the single use installation apparatus. Once the single use installation apparatus is removed, the repair device is adhered to the inner surfaces of the underwire's fabric casing with the use of a hot dry iron. Once cooled, the repair device will remain adhered to the inner surfaces of the underwire's fabric casing and the brassiere can be worn. Additionally, the repair does not alter the outer appearance of the brassiere and the repaired brassiere will remain repaired after it has been washed.
The repair device has a sleeve incorporated into its design in order to cover the tip of an underwire and act as a shield to prevent the underwire from poking through its fabric casing. The sleeve of this repair device is formed into a capped and hollow elliptic cylinder and is made of brass, but can also be made of other metals, metal alloys, plastic, wire mesh, or from materials that contain nylon, polylactic acid or polyethylene. The outer surfaces of the sleeve are coated with an outer layer of thermal adhesive.
The single use installation apparatus created within this invention enables and facilitates the installation of the repair device by reducing friction between the repair device and the inner surfaces of an underwire's fabric casing. The single use installation apparatus is constructed of vinyl sheet but can also be constructed of siliconized paper, regular paper, cardboard, or sheet materials that contain polyethylene.